Tollfree Protector

[Radar]

Just received the Tollfree protector. I thought I would give it a try. Previous posts about it working too well ... hiding the letters and numbers tyo the point where it would result in a ticket ... are well-founded. It doesn't pass the smirk test. You couldn't argue to a cop that it does not block view of the letters and numbers without smirking. Comes dangerously close to making them illegible, which in Texas is a Class B misdemeanor. It's a shame. I wanted it to work. I will now try the overhead protector, photo blur and/or super protector instead. Once I decide on one, I will add Veil G4 to it. I bought Veil, but will return it, because it is not Veil G4.

[robcollins5]

I bought Veil, but will return it, because it is not Veil G4.

When did you buy the Veil? The new Veil jar doesn't look any different than the old Veil. There is no G4 marking. My understanding is that the old stock of Veil was depleted prior to the release of G4 so anything that you bought recently HAS to be G4.

rc

[Radar]

When did you buy the Veil? The new Veil jar doesn't look any different than the old Veil. There is no G4 marking. My understanding is that the old stock of Veil was depleted prior to the release of G4 so anything that you bought recently HAS to be G4.

rc

Oh, okay. Thanks for telling me. I just got it this past week. I'll check with the vendor to make sure.

[Lucky225]

Just received the Tollfree protector. I thought I would give it a try. Previous posts about it working too well ... hiding the letters and numbers tyo the point where it would result in a ticket ... are well-founded. It doesn't pass the smirk test. You couldn't argue to a cop that it does not block view of the letters and numbers without smirking. Comes dangerously close to making them illegible, which in Texas is a Class B misdemeanor. It's a shame. I wanted it to work. I will now try the overhead protector, photo blur and/or super protector instead. Once I decide on one, I will add Veil G4 to it. I bought Veil, but will return it, because it is not Veil G4.

In texas ANY device the interferes with the legibility or angular detectability is illegal -- Just don't F*ck w/ covers if you are from Texas. The only covers that are legal are clear covers, that's it.

[category4]

In GA it's a mandatory court appearance and a $1000 fine for any plastic cover designed to defeat camera systems from reading your license plate. I know from experience!!

[Radar]

In texas ANY device the interferes with the legibility or angular detectability is illegal -- Just don't F*ck w/ covers if you are from Texas. The only covers that are legal are clear covers, that's it.

I did briefly research this issue, and found an article on snopes ("texasplate"). There has been some confusion as to what does and does not violate the statute. The statute was amended after some thought that any license plate cover or even a university bracket would violate the statute.

As for the actual statute, here are the relevant portions:

Sec. 502.409. WRONG, FICTITIOUS, ALTERED, OR OBSCURED LICENSE PLATE. (a) A person commits an offense if the person attaches to or displays on a motor vehicle a number plate or registration insignia that: ...
(5) has blurring or reflective matter that significantly impairs the readability of the name of the state in which the vehicle is registered or the letters or numbers of the license plate number at any time; ... or
(7) has a coating, covering, protective material, or other apparatus that:
(A) distorts angular visibility or detectability;
(B) alters or obscures one-half or more of the name of the state in which the vehicle is registered; or
(C) alters or obscures the letters or numbers of the license plate number or the color of the plate.
(b) ... an offense ... is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $200, unless it is shown at the trial of the offense that the owner knowingly altered or made illegible the letters, numbers, and other identification marks, in which case the offense is a Class B misdemeanor.
(c) A court may dismiss a charge brought under Subsection (a)[(5) or (7)] if the defendant:
(1) remedies the defect before the defendant's first court appearance; and
(2) pays an administrative fee not to exceed $10.
In terms of making “illegible the letters, numbers, and other identification marks,” notice that Sec. 502.409(a)(5) prohibits a blurring matter that “significantly impairs the readability of the name of the state in which the vehicle is registered or the letters or numbers of the license plate number at any time,” which is different from making the letters “illegible.” If the numbers and letters are not illegible, and are not altered, then the offense is not a Class B misdemeanor, and can be remedied by paying a $10 administrative fee (at least according to the statute, although that requires authorities to actually follow the law).

What are your thoughts on this?

[Lucky225]

The same as before, you're telling me something I already know. It used to be against the law for even a plate frame that covered even 'one stary star' because of some wording in the 2003 statute about any covering of any distinctive design of the license plate.

Now, to the statute you pasted as worded today.(At least I think it's still the same as 2007, 2009 statutes aren't available online yet and I don't feel like looking through the bills that were enrolled this session)

I have bold and underlined the relivant parts - No angular distortion, no colored tint, no covering more then 1/2 of the State/jurisdiction name. CLEAR COVERS ONLY IN TEXAS - TOLLFREE PROTECTOR NO / LASERSHIELD YES

Sec. 502.409. WRONG, FICTITIOUS, ALTERED, OR OBSCURED LICENSE PLATE. (a) A person commits an offense if the person attaches to or displays on a motor vehicle a number plate or registration insignia that: ...
(5) has blurring or reflective matter that significantly impairs the readability of the name of the state in which the vehicle is registered or the letters or numbers of the license plate number at any time; ... or
(7) has a coating, covering, protective material, or other apparatus that:
(A) distorts angular visibility or detectability;
(B) alters or obscures one-half or more of the name of the state in which the vehicle is registered; or
(C) alters or obscures the letters or numbers of the license plate number or the color of the plate.
(b) ... an offense ... is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $200, unless it is shown at the trial of the offense that the owner knowingly altered or made illegible the letters, numbers, and other identification marks, in which case the offense is a Class B misdemeanor.
(c) A court may dismiss a charge brought under Subsection (a)[(5) or (7)] if the defendant:
(1) remedies the defect before the defendant's first court appearance; and
(2) pays an administrative fee not to exceed $10.
In terms of making “illegible the letters, numbers, and other identification marks,” notice that Sec. 502.409(a)(5) prohibits a blurring matter that “significantly impairs the readability of the name of the state in which the vehicle is registered or the letters or numbers of the license plate number at any time,” which is different from making the letters “illegible.” If the numbers and letters are not illegible, and are not altered, then the offense is not a Class B misdemeanor, and can be remedied by paying a $10 administrative fee (at least according to the statute, although that requires authorities to actually follow the law).

In texas ANY device the interferes with the legibility or angular detectability is illegal -- Just don't F*ck w/ covers if you are from Texas. The only covers that are legal are clear covers, that's it.

I did briefly research this issue, and found an article on snopes ("texasplate"). There has been some confusion as to what does and does not violate the statute. The statute was amended after some thought that any license plate cover or even a university bracket would violate the statute.

As for the actual statute, here are the relevant portions:

Sec. 502.409. WRONG, FICTITIOUS, ALTERED, OR OBSCURED LICENSE PLATE. (a) A person commits an offense if the person attaches to or displays on a motor vehicle a number plate or registration insignia that: ...
(5) has blurring or reflective matter that significantly impairs the readability of the name of the state in which the vehicle is registered or the letters or numbers of the license plate number at any time; ... or
(7) has a coating, covering, protective material, or other apparatus that:
(A) distorts angular visibility or detectability;
(B) alters or obscures one-half or more of the name of the state in which the vehicle is registered; or
(C) alters or obscures the letters or numbers of the license plate number or the color of the plate.
(b) ... an offense ... is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $200, unless it is shown at the trial of the offense that the owner knowingly altered or made illegible the letters, numbers, and other identification marks, in which case the offense is a Class B misdemeanor.
(c) A court may dismiss a charge brought under Subsection (a)[(5) or (7)] if the defendant:
(1) remedies the defect before the defendant's first court appearance; and
(2) pays an administrative fee not to exceed $10.
In terms of making “illegible the letters, numbers, and other identification marks,” notice that Sec. 502.409(a)(5) prohibits a blurring matter that “significantly impairs the readability of the name of the state in which the vehicle is registered or the letters or numbers of the license plate number at any time,” which is different from making the letters “illegible.” If the numbers and letters are not illegible, and are not altered, then the offense is not a Class B misdemeanor, and can be remedied by paying a $10 administrative fee (at least according to the statute, although that requires authorities to actually follow the law).

What are your thoughts on this?

EDIT: As for the 'not a class B misdemeanor' -- I agree, you MAY be able to remedy with $10 fee, but I for one wouldn't even TRY to risk that.

[<<JAZZY>>]

How about if you just smear wet mud on your plate and don't wash your car, is that legal?

[Stealth Stalker]

No. It is still a deliberate attempt to obscure visibility, which is clearly covered by the law.

[Lucky225]

No. It is still a deliberate attempt to obscure visibility, which is clearly covered by the law.

X2, just like you can't have anything on your windshield but the registration stickers, if a bird $hits on it or a bug splats, technically you are in violation of the law until you squirt that stuff off.